Pay Climbs for County’s Top Administrator

It doesn’t look like much of a pay raise at first glance, especially for Ventura County’s top executive: a 1.64% increase, or an additional $84.86 for each two-week pay period.

But then again, Chief Administrative Officer Lin Koester has already seen his base salary jump from $123,630 to $134,684 in one year. If county supervisors approve the new salary increase Tuesday, it would bring his total pay to $136,914.

So, how did he do it?

For one thing, Koester received a 3% cost-of-living increase in March along with other lower-ranking county managers. That added $3,709 to his salary, bringing the total to $127,339.

But the Board of Supervisors didn’t stop there. In addition to the pay increase, the board agreed to fold longevity bonuses into the base salaries of hundreds of managers and employees. The annual cash bonuses are based on years of service.

Although Koester was hired as county manager only last year, he was able to get credit for the years he worked for the county from 1971 to 1979 as director of the Environmental Resources Agency, said Ronald Komers, head of the Human Resources Department.

As a result, Koester’s salary was boosted July 1 by another $7,345, raising the total to $134,684.

And things could get better.

If the supervisors agree to extend Koester’s contract for one year, as proposed, he would be eligible for yet another raise next year. His current contract runs through June 1997.

This is good news for Koester, 54, considering that employees’ retirement benefits are calculated on the salary they were making their last year on the job.

Koester, who will receive another pension for his 15 years as Simi Valley’s city manager, could not be reached for comment Friday.

Supervisors Frank Schillo and John Flynn said they believe Koester has earned his pay, which they said is fair compensation for the job he performs. As county manager, Koester is responsible for overseeing an annual county budget of $864 million and helping to steer a bureaucracy that includes 7,000 employees.

“I think we started Lin off pretty low to begin with,” Flynn said. “He’s the head of a big organization, I think he’s earned it. I’m very pleased with him. He’s done an outstanding job.”

Schillo agreed, crediting Koester’s reorganization of the chief administrator’s office with saving the county more than $300,000. He said Koester has also helped streamline the county’s Workforce Development Division and has been instrumental in bringing city leaders together to seek a solution to the county library system’s financial troubles.

“The fact is that he has done a tremendous job in the last year,” Schillo said. “He has been very helpful on the budget and he has energized people, which means we are getting more things done.”

Schillo conceded, however, that he did not vote for the managers’ pay raises in March or to fold longevity bonuses into the base salaries because he was concerned about the county’s financial difficulties.

“No, I didn’t vote for that,” he said. “I didn’t think anybody should get that.”